Gray wolves were taken off the endangered species list in Idaho and Montana last year and put under state control. But they're still on the list in neighboring Wyoming. That's because Wyoming has been the most aggressive about wanting to kill wolves.

ADVERTISEMENT

Wyoming has finally struck a deal with the federal government regarding how wolves will be treated once the state takes over. But environmentalists believe the agreement denies wolves an important refuge.

There weren't any wolves in Wyoming until the federal government reintroduced them in the 1990s. Now there are at least 329 in the state. But the state is eager to shrink the population because wolves kill livestock and game.

"My personal opinion is they need to be hunted wherever and whenever they occur, because wolves are extremely secretive creatures; they're extremely intelligent," says Joe Tilden, a county commissioner in Wyoming and the founder of a hunting advocacy group.